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| Investec Derby 2011 |
Epsom
Derby
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Dunboyne Express Given Investec Derby Option A dozen potential Investec Derby heroes have joined the list of entries for Last year, Workforce became the first Investec Derby winner to have been entered at the second stage. The addition of the 12 second entries on Tuesday, April 5, at a cost of £8,000 each, are announced today. There are now 134 horses engaged for the 2011 Investec Derby. Dunboyne Express won two of three starts last term, including the Group Three Anglesey Stakes at the Curragh before closing out the season with fifth in the Group One Racing Post Trophy behind Casamento, who is also among those added at the latest stage. The three-year-old Shamardal colt returned to action on March 27, with a pleasing victory in the Group Three Leopardstown 2,000 Guineas Trial over a mile and now heads to the Curragh for the Abu Dhabi Irish 2,000 Guineas on May 21. Referring to the Investec Derby as a potential option for the Shamardal colt, Prendergast revealed: “It would be on the agenda, depending on how he progresses in the Irish 2,000 Guineas - if he runs a good race at the Curragh, the Investec Derby would have to be considered. “His pedigree says he should get a mile and a half but it’s not written in stone. His dam is a half-sister to the Investec Oaks winner Love Divine, so he’s also related to the St Leger winner, Sixties Icon. Shamardal got 10 furlongs and he was a real class horse, so there’s every chance that Dunboyne Express will get the trip. “I was very pleased with him at Leopardstown the other day. The runnerup, Exodus had tried to make the running in a Group One in France on very bad ground last year and just got tired the last furlong to finish fourth, so he’s probably decent. I’d say it was a good trial. “He couldn’t be better after that run the other day.” Prendergast, 78, has another promising prospect in the Hamdan Al Maktoum-owned Mawaakef, who was entered for the Investec Derby at the initial stage in 2009. The Azamour colt landed a Killarney maiden before finishing runner-up to Casamento in the Group Two Beresford Stakes at the Curragh in September. The County Kildare trainer reported: “Mawaakef runs in the Ballsax Stakes at Leopardstown on Sunday. He had three runs last year - he was fourth first time, then he won and then he was second in the Beresford to Casamento, who went and won the Racing Post Trophy. “He couldn’t be better. He might just need the run on Sunday but he’s in good shape.” Also among those added at the second entry is Godolphin’s Dubai Prince, a Mahmood Al Zarooni-trained stablemate to Casamento and the unbeaten winner of the Group Three Killavullan Stakes last term. Unfortunately, Dubai Prince has since suffered a training setback and will miss the Group One QIPCO 2,000 Guineas and the Group One Investec Derby. He was diagnosed with a hairline fracture of his right ilial wing and will require a few weeks on the easy list. Owner/breeder Khalid Abdulla has engaged the Henry Cecil-trained pair of Picture Editor and Midsummer Sun, as well as Sea Moon, trained by Sir Michael Stoute, who saddled Workforce to victory for Abdulla in last year’s Investec Derby. Ireland’s champion trainer Aidan O’Brien has entered the Galileo colt Marksmanship at the second entry stage following his impressive debut victory at Leopardstown on Sunday.
Owner Fitri Hay has added the Galileo colt No Heretic and the unraced Selkirk colt Strategic Bid, both trained by Paul Cole, successful in the Investec Derby with the brilliant Generous in 1991. Native Khan, trained by Ed Dunlop, landed the Group Three Solario Stakes and was subsequently fourth in the Racing Post Trophy, while maiden winners Marhaba Malyoon and Loving Spirit, trained by David Simcock and James Toller respectively, have also been entered. The next and final entry stage costing £75,000 deadlines at noon on Monday, May 30.
THE 12 SECOND ENTRIES FOR THE 2011 INVESTEC DERBY CASAMENTO (IRE) ch c Shamardal (USA) - Wedding Gift (FR) (Always Fair (USA)) Agent Bobby O’Ryan paid 54,000 euros on behalf of Sheikh Mohammed’s team to buy Casamento at Goffs as a foal when offered from his jointbreeder Dermot Cantillon’s Tinakill House. Sent to trainer Mick Halford, he was part of a handful of juveniles to race in Ireland in Sheikh Mohammed’s colours last year and he proved himself up with the very best two-year-olds of 2010. After landing a seven-furlong Tipperary maiden on his August 26 debut, he was beaten a head into second in the Group One Vincent O’Brien National Stakes when rapidly upped in class a forntight later. He bounced back to justify odds-on favouritism with a four-length win in the Group Two Juddmonte Beresford Stakes on September 28 before rounding off his campaign with a three-quarter length victory over Seville in the Group One Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster on October 23.The Shamardal colt, out of Prix de Diane fifth Wedding Gift, travelled to Godolphin’s Newmarket stable after his Doncaster win and - after wintering in Dubai - will be overseen by trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni in Newmarket this year.
DUBAI PRINCE (IRE) Like Casamento, Dubai Prince is a son of Shamardal who was bought as a
foal and raced in Sheikh Mohammed’s colours in Ireland last year. The
48,000 guineas purchase, who was sent to Curragh handler Dermot Weld,
did precious little wrong in two starts. He was a well-backed favourite on
his debut in a Gowran Park maiden on September 25, scoring by a length
from Seville, and reappeared exactly amonth later in the Group Three
Killavullan Stakes at Leopardstown. Sent off at 4/9, he quickened clear to
score by three and a half lengths in the seven-furlong event. Transferred
to Godolphin, he is now with Casamento at Mahmood Al Zarooni’s
Newmarket stable, Moulton Paddocks.
DUNBOYNE EXPRESS (IRE) Dunboyne Express, by Casamento and Dubai Prince’s sire Shamardal out
of a half-sister to Investec Oaks heroine Love Divine, failed to find a
buyer when offered as a yearling at Tattersalls and was led out unsold
when bidding reached 48,000 guineas. But that proved a fortuitous
moment for breeder John Connaughton, who put him in training with
Kevin Prendergast and has had little cause to subsequently rue his
decision. Dunboyne Express was well-touted ahead of his June 10 debut
in a Leopardstown maiden, beating the classy Master Of Hounds by a
short-head, and really demonstrated his class the following month with an
eight-length success over Samuel Morse in the Group Three Anglesey
Stakes at the Curragh on July 18. A sprained ankle, then infection kept
him off the track until he rounded the season off with fifth place behind
Casamento in the Group One Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster on October
23. He reappeared at Leopardstown on March 27 in the Group Three
2,000 Guineas Trial when he had little trouble in coming home best of the
three runners.
LOVING SPIRIT (GB) A 42,000 guineas purchase from Tattersalls’ Craven Breeze-Up Sale in
April last year, Loving Spirit made his debut in a competitive 17-runner
Newmarket maiden on October 1. He scored by an impressive five lengths
and was out again a fortnight later in the Houghton Condition Stakes at
Newmarket, when finishing two and a quarter lengths second to Mantoba.
MARHABA MALYOON (IRE) Bought for 40,000 guineas as a yearling at Tatersalls by Dubai-based
owner Ahmad Al Shaikh, Marhaba Malyoon joined Newmarket handler
David Simcock, for whom he had just one start last year. That came in a
10-furlong maiden at Bath on September 27, when beating Ullswater to
win by a short-head. By Tiger Hill, he is out of a half-sister to the dams of
smart stayers Mourayan and Mourilyan so he should excel over longer
trips.
MARKSMANSHIP (IRE) Bred by the late Cathal Ryan’s Swordlestown Stud, Marksmanship is by
champion sire Galileo out of the Listed-winning juvenile Maroochydore but
did not run as a two-year-old. His debut came at the Curragh on Sunday
(April 3) when beating the well-regarded Notable Graduate to land a 10-
furlong maiden by two and a half lengths.
MIDSUMMER SUN (GB) He has yet to see a racecourse, but Prince Khalid Abdulla’s home-bred
Midsummer Sun is already prominent in betting lists for the 2011 Investec
Derby. The son of Germany’s top stallion Monsun is bred to perform at
the highest level. He is a half-brother to five-time Group and Grade One
winner Midday out of a half-sister to Investec Oaks heroine Reams Of
Verse.
NATIVE KHAN (FR) Turkish businessman Ibrahim Araci paid 180,000 guineas for Native Khan
at the 2010 Tattersalls Craven Breeze-up, the colt having previously sold
for 70,000 euros to Malcolm Bastard at the Arqana August Yearling Sale.
The grey Azamour colt impressed on debut for trainer Ed Dunlop in a
seven-furlong maiden at Newmarket’s July Festival. He was then pitched
straight into Group Three company, winning the Solario Stakes at
Sandown on August 21 by half a length from Measuring Time. Native
Khan’s final start of last season came in the Group One Racing Post
Trophy over a mile when, after being held up in rear, he stayed on
through the final furlong to finish fourth, three and a half lengths behind
Casamento at Doncaster.
NO HERETIC (GB) A Galileo colt out of a Listed placed half-sister to Poule d’Essai des
Poulains victor Aussie Rules, No Heretic’s second dam is the high-class
Last Second. The colt sold to trainer Paul Cole, acting on behalf of Jim and
Fitri Hay, for 260,000 guineas at Book One of the 2009 Tattersalls
October Yearling Sale. No Heretic made his only racecourse appearance to
date in a hot seven-furlong Newbury maiden on September 18, in which
he finished three and a half lengths third to subsequent Tattersalls
Millions 2-Y-O Trophy winner Fury.
PICTURE EDITOR (GB) Picture Editor is Juddmonte to the core being by owner/breeder Khalid
Abdulla’s top-class Dansili out of a smart middle distance winning halfsister
to Warning and Commander In Chief. Henry Cecil’s charge battled
to a head verdict on his debut in a Doncaster mile maiden on September
9, and then stormed to a 30-length success in a 10-furlong conditions
race on heavy going at Leicester a month later. His final start of 2010 saw
him sent off the 4/6 favourite for the Listed Zetland Stakes at Newmarket
on October 30, again over 10 furlongs. Picture Editor weakened to finish
third, three and a quarter lengths behind Indigo Way.
SEA MOON (GB) Like Picture Editor, Sea Moon is a Juddmonte homebred, being by Grade
One victor and Investec Derby third Beat Hollow out of Park Hill Stakes
winner Eva Luna. He is closely related to St Leger winner Brian Boru and
his half-sister, Soviet Moon, is the dam of last year’s Investec Derby
winner Workforce. Sea Moon was a short-head second to Sadler’s Risk on
his debut in a mile maiden at Leicester on October 12, but triumphed at
the second attempt when the 1/5 favourite for a heavy ground mile
maiden at Yarmouth two weeks later.
STRATEGIC BID (GB) Strategic Bid possesses plenty of stamina on the female line, his dam
being an unraced half-sister to a Listed winner at a mile and three
quarters, Moments Of Joy, and smart middle distance winner Light Of
Morn. The colt’s second dam is Yorkshire Oaks and Prix Vermeille heroine
My Emma, whose half-brother Classic Cliche won the Ascot Gold Cup. Paul
Cole, acting for owners Jim and Fitri Hay, purchased Strategic Bid out of
Book Two of the 2009 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale for 260,000
guineas. He is yet to make his racecourse debut. |
